New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-06
TURKS IN A QUANDARY.
.poJrr RAILROADS. MORMONS AND JAfAN-
ESE IDOLAIORS

The scheme for railways IN ASl"'i' i"N'J 49,"
..o- 70 the fore so often that Con,tahunop'h'""'
arc wary about pinning their taith 10 inc s''-
~ dcclarations of tic European press. 1t may
10 all very we'll to believe that some 'iiiie '"o
crv NJ wolf" may have meaning But your 'ruc
n, Will mo, throw ND his hat for JOY on hearing
.ho, tho preliminaries OF the railway convention
ava stoned until he has seen the papers 'h0i"
dyes Nowhere else in the world are ulere ~
many and so fcrciblc illustrations oil the pronei'
obout the sli $ twiXt the cup ana inc n.y. i"i'
seems TO he the fact that the railway syhu'c"Vo
Is NOW learning. Mcssrs. Alt and IflahSer anu
others have long been in negotiation LOT Ile ''n
ccssicn OF the privilege 10 build the great trunN
,,,o from Corstantinopc to Bagdaa, using the
road from Constantnople 10 Mcoheui"' "'',"
= already controlled by the syndicate, as the
initial section of the new cham. iue I'LL oi"''0'
or the route to the country and also the Govern
-. ,lo. interests are not always identical
With ,bose of the country is perfectly clear iiali
nj Asia Minor Is now going hungry because there
&c M mems Of bringing il the surplus or 1000
tniovcd hy the other half The districts 10 DC
opened to trade by this road are the ch"'eS'
agricultural districts of the Empire. Moreover inc
help to the trade of Turkey which the railway
will afford in being a safe means by whIch INC
merchant may escape being robbed or heid per
sonallv for ransom by brigands is rot the least
Of disadvantages. All these and many more rca onS
toccthcr have led the officials here to accord their
approval to the plan. and the syndicate mas h"u
the seal of majesty itself to the preliminary con-
vention which your paIers were in so great h"St'
10 announce as settling the question Of Asia
Minor railways
But The actual putting the plan into detailed
shane has proved task which has kept the great
men Of the syndicate dancing attendance "' 'no
Sublime Porte during the whole oil t"e iou'
hottest weeks which ever visited C"hSt"h'iholi'
after the autumnal equinox. The question oi '"'
details of the plan has been very serious test
of the reality Of the concession III may vet DC 'lo
death of the whole scheme. although we hopc lor
The best The precise proportion of the proftS
~ the enterprise that will 20 into the Government
cash box has been settled after a good zeal oi
barplinr and at present the whole scheme lies al
The mercy of the staff corps OF the war Depart
nent or course this corrs would not prove lls
intelligence Us 10 the needs OF the Empire ala III
NOT raise dificntics at the outset in the midst and
nj every step The fact is that the average turkish
intelligence believes that railways are an lhNcn-
ton of the Evil One in order TO facilitate the IN
yasion Of Turkish territory by its enemies Inc
ricture which is raised in the Turks mind by
the words Asiatic railway" is the picture OF an
enormous Russian army coming 10 ConStantinopie
by the first train. Point out the use to the laIu
Of a railway in defence, and you have only
added TO the terror of the public, for experience
has shown thct European inventions ad inc
enemies more than they do the Turks themselves
Show how readily railway may be destroyed III
ease NJ reverses so that the enemy shall not be
able TO use IT, and the evident answer is, y ii
Won build the road to destroy il. why build IL al
alln This is the present condition OF the negoua
lions. and although hope still exists that the
ia oil
War ONCE staff the pessimistic view prcponder-
ATS and We are not yet packing our handbags
for the railway trip to Bagdad
There is a certain reasOnabencss in the Turkish
fear of the railway rs complication III c"sc VI
war The example of England and The terror ln1'
which the mere mention of tunnel uhocr t'e
Straits OF Dover will throw her coolest statesmen
justi the fears of the Turks.
Tho cose of the European railways Still Tags
The ScrvianS have built their lines to the frontier
both on the lire 10 Salonica and on the Inc
nv Pulcarja toward Constantinope. The Bulgarans
have been too closely interested by pollucs OF i"H
10 nav mucl, attention to economies and ther
soo,;on ot tho main line is still unfinished But
,be complet;on Of the Servian lines to the turkish
frontier makes it possible To open at once the
branch to Salonica thus putting that seaport III
direct connection by rail with Vienna But inc
hermit n open the road still delays to issue from
the Sublime Porte. 1t seems that there are mill
,orv considerations here also that need to be
studied before the worlds commerce can try TINS
new means Of access to Egypt and India
Hu,carian affairs are still in the condition de
scribcd by the Russians as leaving the BulgariahS
IN cock in their own juices. The process is not so
dsarfccabIc 10 the Blu lgarians as the term might
imply In fact the majority OF the people are
quit satisfied to have Russia adopt q policy that
deprivcS them OF the smiles of the GAR IL Is
trne bnt leaves them free TO build up national
existence Of their own. The situation, winch "
wear ago seemed to be desperate, is now very
hofcful one for the future Of bulgaria. III inc
catastrophe Of Russian interference can be de-
Iayed for n time, the chances are all in favor
OF the Bugarians reaping the reword OF their
patience and scf-control. The idea Of 1oint
Intervention of Russia and Turkey seems TO be
given up II never had any basis OF sense or
promise Of good. The fact is that the Russians
have shown no little lack Of astuteness in the
whole course Of their manag ment oil the bulgarian
question ard they have been forced to acknowl-
edge defeat in way that diminishes what pres
tige they have had among the Bulsarians Mean
while the new Prince seems 10 be gaining the
people over 70 himself. They wanted some one 10
love- AID they have found such a one in Ferdinand
Of Coburg.
The visit of the japanese Prince Komatsu ate
this city has aroused the Moslem mind TO some
questions. The Turks want to know how IL IS
that the Sultan is willing 10 receive and lodge
In an Imperial Palace q man who is an idolator'
at least in theory. Why should not the old rule
Of asking the Pagan to become Mcslem, ana
slcing off his head if he refused he enforced in
this case Another question is. why does this
man know English? The belief that the Turks
have long had thrust upon them is that the world
is going to Speak French some day Why is it
that a JaIancsc finds any advantage in knowing